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'Below' is going to come out this year, seriously
Capybara Games announced Below during Microsoft's 2013 E3 conference, sandwiched between details about the Xbox One, which would hit retail later that year. When it launched, Below was going to be console-exclusive to the Xbox One for an unspecified amount of time, and it immediately captured the imagination of fans and press. It was a visually powerful game, showcasing a tiny protagonist who explored caverns that stretched for miles beyond the screen, hiding mysteries and adventure around every corner. Below served as a testament to Microsoft's commitment to being a hub for innovative games, regardless of whether they were created by mainstream studios or independent developers.
Let Sony's favorite developers help pick your next game (updated)
Four years on and the PlayStation 4's digital storefront is pretty well stocked. But finding more obscure stuff to buy isn't the easiest and the search function kind of sucks. As a way of addressing that on the store's web version, Sony is introducing curated lists of games from "the industry's most creative minds," dubbed The Creators. PlayStation's head of worldwide studios Shuhei Yoshida has his picks listed, as does Rocket League studio Psyonix, Street Fighter's Yoshinori Ono and the Final Fantasy XV team among many, many others.
'Don't Starve: Shipwrecked' lands on December 1st
So far, the cult hit Don't Starve has maintained a largely familiar (if decidedly weird) setting. There have been twists and turns, but you knew what you were getting into. Well, the developers at Klei have decided to shake things up a bit: they're launching Don't Starve: Shipwrecked, a seabound add-on, through Steam Early Access on December 1st. The company hasn't said much about what that entails beyond new biomes, characters and creatures, although one look at the teasers suggests that you might be grappling with everything from hungry fish to angry monkeys. Shipwrecked will only be available on Windows at first, but there are promises of Linux and Mac versions in the pipeline.
Sony's Shuhei Yoshida playable in Super Time Force Ultra
Shuhei Yoshida will be playable in the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita versions of Super Time Force Ultra, Sony announced this weekend as part of their PlayStation Experience event. The President of Worldwide Studios for Sony Computer Entertainment will wield his smartphone as a weapon, shooting out deadly emoticons and laser-beam Twitter messages as he fights robots, dinosaurs and more. You can see him in action via the short teaser above. The Vita version of Super Time Force Ultra was announced alongside a slew of other titles, including classics like Suikoden and several Double Fine adventure games. [Image: Capy Games]
Hit List Q&A: Nathan Vella, co-founder of Capy
In the "Hit List" from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, the video game industry's top talents describe their current gaming addictions, their most anticipated releases and more. This week: Nathan Vella, co-founder of Capybara Games. Nathan Vella is co-founder and president of Toronto-based independent game developer Capy (short for Capybara Games). Perhaps best known for collaborating on Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, Capy also recently developed Super Time Force and has created many other games for consoles, handhelds, PC and mobile. Vella is presently working on Below, Capy's upcoming game about exploration, survival and discovery. At the upcoming D.I.C.E. 2015 Summit in February, Vella's will explore the rewards of collaboration, and he'll share key lessons on why and how it works best.
Super Time Force Ultra adds Left 4 Dead, Team Fortress 2 characters
Capybara Games has turned the proverbial Valve, and now three characters drawn from Left 4 Dead and Team Fortress 2 are pouring forth into the upcoming game, Super Time Force Ultra. Zoey from L4D uses twin pistols and propane tanks to destroy her foes, while the Pyro and Saxton Hale - both from TF2 - roast baddies with a flamethrower and punch them into oblivion, respectively. STFU (get it?) is an updated version of Capy's Super Time Force, which released earlier this year for Xbox 360 and Xbox One. We thought it was quite good, though not without flaws. Ultra adds not only the new characters mentioned above, but a new Ultra Force power mode and 50 Helladeck challenge levels. STFU will complete its journey through time and space and arrive on Steam on August 25. [Image: Capy Games]
Don't kill the dogs in Below
The dogs in Below aren't vicious or dangerous. They'll follow you around and are downright cuddly, as long as you don't hurt one. Still, most players try to kill the dogs the second a pack appears, Capy founder Nathan Vella said during a demo of Below at Gamescom. "Everybody wants to kill the fucking dogs," Vella said. "Everybody who plays the game, they think everything is an enemy, but the bats are just bothering you, the dogs are just hanging out. They might catch your scent and they might want to follow you, but they're not really going to mess with you." Killing the dogs does give your character meat, an item that provides a health boost. So, sure, kill the innocent, adorable dogs if your character is feeling a little peaky. Sure.
Super Time Force Ultra flies to Steam on August 25
Super Time Force Ultra, the updated, spit-shined, expanded version of Capy Games' Super Time Force, is due out on Steam on August 25, Capy co-founder Nathan Vella said during a meeting at Gamescom this afternoon. The official announcement is due to hit the wider web any moment now. Super Time Force Ultra includes 50 new levels, three "crazy new characters," a new power-up move and more cool stuff. "We kind of went a little crazy," Vella said. "And then we actually went back and added a ton of art. Added more art to it, a bunch more sounds, an entirely secondary soundtrack to the game now which takes place during slow motion. I don't know. It's nuts. It's kind of dumb." Or kind of great. [Image: Capy]
Explore the depths down Below on Xbox One in 2015 [UPDATE: Trailer added!]
Adventure fans can delve into Below's looming world on Xbox One sometime in 2015, head of ID@Xbox Chris Charla announced during Microsoft's Gamescom 2014 presentation. Community Manager Anthony John Agnello tried his hand at surviving Below's massive, dangerous environments earlier this year at PAX East and ... well, he died a lot. [Image: Capybara Games]
Super Time Force Ultra finding time for Steam this summer
An "Ultra" version of Super Time Force will time travel to Steam this summer, developer Capybara Games announced today. The Steam version of the time-shifting game will include some "very cool (but presently very secret) stuff." The difficult, twitchy shooter first launched in mid-May for Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Additionally, Super Time Force's OST is now available via BandCamp and iTunes. The chiptune album includes 53 tracks and costs $7.99 ($9.99 on iTunes). Those that prefer to listen to the retro-style tunes in a more authentic fashion can buy the vinyl version on BandCamp for $19.99. [Image: Capy]
Super Time Force characters invade Minecraft Xbox 360
Likely due to some paradoxical shenanigans in the time stream, the cast of Super Time Force will appear in the Xbox 360 incarnation of Minecraft with the release of Skin Pack 6. Though Skin Pack 6 has yet to receive an official release date, once it debuts, players will find six Super Time Force characters among a host of other familiar faces from notable games such as Killer Instinct, Mirror's Edge and Trials Fusion. Despite stiff competition, the Super Time Force characters are easily the most creative, if only for the inclusion of Zackasaurus, a dinosaur who eschews the terrifying majesty typical of his species in favor of laid back sunglasses and a Hawaiian shirt. If you'd rather not wait to meet the Super Time Force cast, you can pick up a copy of the 2D shooter on either Xbox 360 or Xbox One right now. Our largely positive review awarded the game 3.5 of 5 stars, while stating that "[f]or some players, erecting a perfect assault on Super Time Force's stages will be an ecstatic pastime." [Image: 4J Studios]
Super Time Force review: Chronological disorder
"I don't want to talk about time travel," says Joe, a 60-year-old, time-traveling assassin speaking to his younger self in the movie Looper. Young Joe is trying to suss out how the hell the conversation is even taking place. "If we start talking about it, then we're going to be here all day talking about it, making diagrams with straws." He's right. Sussing out time travel stories can make your brain feel like it's sprung a catastrophic leak. Super Time Force exploits time travel's paradoxical nature to spice up what would otherwise be a mighty fetching 2D shooter. In the process, though, it's also bottled the mind-melting confusion that comes from constantly jumping between past and future. Genius in design, easy to pick up and play, and a feast for the eyes, Super Time Force is built for a very specific player, namely one who wants to mix twitchy shooting and dodging with advanced mental gymnastics.
Below confirmed for Steam
Below is coming to Steam as well as Xbox One, developer Capybara Games announced today with a new trailer. Microsoft revealed Below on its stage at E3 2013. In August, we learned that Below and Capybara's Xbox 360 game, Super TIME Force, would both come to other platforms "after a period of time." This is the first confirmation of a Steam launch for Below. Below is a roguelike-like, throwing the tiny character into randomized dungeons with a shield and a weapon; death is permanent. It's exploration-based and features music by Indie Game: The Movie composer Jim Guthrie. There's no launch date for Below. [Image: Capybara]
Steam Daily Deal: Sword & Sworcery for less than a cup of coffee
Sword & Sworcery EP from developers Superbrothers, Capybara, and musician Jim Guthrie is Steam's featured "Daily Deal," slashing the indie darling's price down 80 percent to $1.59. The promotion will conclude on Wednesday, January 22 at 10am Pacific. Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP is the million unit-selling adventure title that first launched for iPad in March 2011. Sword & Sworcery has since launched for other iOS devices, Android, as well as (and included with a purchase on Steam) PC, Mac and Linux. The award-winning indie title follows the courageous adventures of The Scythian as she attempts to vanquish a ghost terrorizing a mountain top. The game is presented in multiple sections, venturing from the start of The Scythian's journey to the dreams of those affected by the ghost's presence. Also, it's gorgeous.
Super Time Force shifts to 2014, also coming to Xbox One
Capybara Games is bringing its radical 2D run-and-gun game, Super Time Force, to Xbox One in addition to Xbox 360, and aims to launch both versions simultaneously. The game will be self-published on Xbox One through the ID@Xbox program and has a new launch window of early 2014. "As 2013 waned and the ruckus around new consoles got louder, we decided that launching on both the Xbox One and Xbox 360 would be the best way for Super Time Force to get out there," Nathan Vella, Capy co-founder and president, told Joystiq. "We really believe in our game, and we're happy that ID@Xbox gives us a chance to bring it to players who made the jump." Capybara Games is also working on another Xbox One game, Below, but that's being published by Microsoft Studios, as is the Xbox Live Arcade (Xbox 360) version of Super Time Force. "Between Super Time Force and Below, players will get the chance to see two very different games from our studio. Super Time Force is easily the most action-packed and ridiculous game we've ever made, while Below is, without much exaggeration, on the complete opposite side of the spectrum. Having these two vastly different games coming from our studio is a huge point of pride for us." Super Time Force will launch "a few months into 2014" while Below's launch date has not been announced.
Clash of Heroes free on Xbox Live for Gold members starting Oct. 1
Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes is the next free offering in the "Games with Gold" promotion. Starting October 1, Xbox Live Gold members can grab Capybara Games' excellent match-three RPG without the $15 entrance fee. Rainbow Six: Vegas is the current deal in the program, and that will expire next Monday. Those still waiting on Halo 3, which was announced as part of the program at E3, will have to hold out a bit longer.
Beers with Friends: Mixing drinks with Toronto's gaming scene
By ten in the evening, a steady stream of people stand outside the Get Well bar in downtown Toronto, clamoring to get in. The west-end watering hole is home to Torontaru, a new monthly meetup for local video game developers and players, which gathers on the last Wednesday of the month. Even in the event's three-month infancy, Torontaru has established itself as a meeting place for game developers to discuss fresh ideas or hatch harebrained schemes, but a casual and safe meeting place is at its core. Kris Piotrowski, creative director at Sword & Sworcery developer Capy Games, says conversations during Torontaru may lead to game ideas, but "maybe it's not intentional." "It just happens," he tells Joystiq. "This is the kind of environment where things do happen." The idea for a casual meetup for game makers in Toronto was one pulled from a similar event in Japan. Piotrowski, Marie-Christine Bourdua (Fez, producer) and Renaud Bédard (Fez, programmer) were inspired by a gathering organized by 8-4, a localization team and podcast crew based out of Shibuya, Japan. "[Marie-Christine and I] went to Japan a few years ago and we were invited to an event called Otaru, which is a gathering of developers," says Bédard. "I guess [the team at 8-4] wanted to have some kind of social evening that they could do every week - every Thursday - where they could drink with friends and bring whoever's in town to be part of it, so you just get there and you talk to people and meet people." Torontaru strives to bring that safe environment, for gamers and creators to come together, share drinks and stories and help grow an already expanding scene.
Capy Jam platformer, Synchroma, designed to work against you
Synchroma gives us an idea of how Renaud Bedard, the programmer on Fez, fits into Capybara Games since he joined the studio in November. Synchroma is a minimalist, cube-based platformer where players press groups of three random buttons on a gamepad to duck, jump, shift and basically not die, as Polygon reports. Every time the game starts up, the commands are different, but each move always involves a simultaneous mash of three buttons and the game never tells the player which buttons to press. Bedard and artist Nicolas "Qiqo" Stephan created Synchroma during the Capy Jam and they showed it off at the Fangamer X Attract Mode party in Seattle on August 31. It's meant to be ultra-challenging, "where the controls fight against you as you simultaneously fight to survive," Bedard writes. "It's a game about physical memory, and how much finger gymnastics you can memorize/perform under the pressure created by big red spiky rolls of death coming at you," he says. "Perhaps the best thing is that we suck at it exactly as much as any player." Capy President Nathan Vella says there are no plans to take Synchroma public right now, but weirder things have happened. Weirder things like this game.
Below, Super TIME Force will be multi-platform after 'a period of time'
Capybara Games has revealed that both Below and Super T.I.M.E. Force - announced for the Xbox One and Xbox 360, respectively - will arrive on non-Microsoft platforms after an undisclosed period of exclusivity. "Like many games on stage at E3, Below will be available on the Xbox One first. Then, after a period of time, CAPY can bring it elsewhere. It's always been this way," Capy's Nathan Vella and Kris Piotrowski revealed in a blog post today.
Super TIME Force trailer makes a big mess, saves a few lives
Capy Games' Super TIME Force now features an overhauled time mechanic different from the last time we saw it. Rather than making players go through the entire stage again to reach the point they died, thus resuming their progress, players can now jump around a timeline and respawn anywhere.
